Why are some people (like many American men) obsessed with gadgets? Perhaps because tools connote ability, and ability connotes status. This goes way, way back. Tens or hundreds of thousands of years. Your value to society is measured by your ability to get things done. Your are what you can do. It’s the mandate of the hunter and the executive. Into this equation, add a term for peacock feathers (ostentatious expense as a signal of abundant personal resources) and I think you can explain our obsession with things ranging from filigreed armor to Leathermen and gold Rolexes.